Canoe Camping Rules that Apply Lots of Places

I came across this Boundary Waters web site that offers some excellent safety tips. Though their target is canoe camping, most of them apply to a lot of outdoor tripping/camping. Great advice here.

http://www.quietjourney.com/boundarywaters/camp-safety.html

From a survival perspective many of these apply, but the ones that really hit home are:

"Carry a small survival kit on your person, compass, knife, signal device, food, fire, and shelter."

"Leave your route plan and day of return with your loved ones at home."

Several others fall into the "don't take a chance - do the safest thing because help is a long way off" category.

Smoking weed in bear country....hmmmm.......

"No whining. If nothing can be done to correct the situation there is no point to complain. Whiners are generally drowned on the spot and those that survive are not invited back."

If only this was true...

I assumed it keeps the black flies and mosquitoes away without the mess of DEET.

Nah, the skeeters up there LIKE it.

I like this one " Bring several kinds of incendiary devices,..."

Words of wisdom for most situations.

-Blast

There is a whole bunch of what is most likely hard-learned lessons summed up in that list. I was very impressed.

Apparently it was built from forum contributions and combined/orginized a bit for the web site.

Most important one - wear your pfd. ANd if you get a fishing model with a few pockets...more space for gear!

My aging brain can't remember where I read it, but I think just yesterday I read someone in a forum say something like ...

If its in your pack its gear ... if its on your person its survival gear.

...or something like that.

I really like that statement!!!
(thus the benefit of the pockets!)